Unfortunate Slight
by stupid shiny volvo driver
Summary: To say killing James was an unfortunate slight, is like saying the Pacific Ocean is a small insigificant puddle. Victoria's reactions to all that insued after meeting the Cullen 'family' and her subsequent obssession with the death of Bella Swan.
1. Act I

_**Disclaimer:** All the characters appearing in this work are copyright Stephenie Meyer and are not used with permission. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and all original characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No financial gain is being made by this work. Quotes taken directly from Stephenie Meyer's work are in italics. No copyright infringement is intended by the use of these quotes._

**_Thanks so much to somethingblue for all her wonderful encouragement. I am forever grateful! And thanks also to both Simplicity and Heart Song for the fantastic beta reads! Your help with this is much appreciated!_**

Unfortunate Slight

Act I

Each of them had eaten, temporarily satisfying an insatiable thirst. They had ambushed three humans leaving a bar together and within minutes, the three vampires had sucked them dry before stealing their cell phones. It was the only thing they ever took away with them…besides the blood. Victoria knew James found the little devices useful when tracking took him far from her. Long ago, when the only humans who carried the devices were pimps or drug dealers, they had figured out how to retrieve the phone information, use them and then, discard them when the batteries died. Every human carried one these days, so it was no problem to pick up three new ones each time they fed.

Barefoot, as usual, they ran through the state of Washington. This was just another place, another forest and another cloudy sky that would conceal them from prying human eyes. They would feed and move on. Feed and move on. Nomads. Just like so many of their kind, forced by ancient vampire laws to keep on the move, never to stay in one location and feed to their dead heart's content.

The time of the vampire wars were over. Victoria had heard the stories so many times in so many ways. Long gone were the armies that patrolled ever-changing boundary lines.

Now they ran.

Humans were so frail, so completely defenseless against the power of vampires, it was ludicrous not to use them like the stupid cattle they were. Victoria found them quite a nice distraction, as did James. None he had taken an interest in tracking had succeeded in eluding him with the exception of one. With the endless passage of time, the torment of an eternity of sleepless nights, he needed every distraction he could find, Victoria more than gladly being one of those much-needed diversions.

The male running behind James was intelligent, coolheaded, took direction well, and for the most part, did as he was told. Victoria had a wonderful knack for getting them out of tight situations and that worked in their favor on more than one occasion when James had lost control and slaughtered humans with abandon. She wasn't always sure that he necessarily loved her in the same way she loved him, but he cared for her … in his way.

Victoria did have the niggling feeling that one day James would become weary of her constant fawning and that could be the very day he would kill her. Rip her to shreds, set fire to the pieces, and scatter her ashes to the four winds. It tore at her dead heart, but the violence of it excited her just the same.

A storm was rolling in over the west. The lightning flashed quite a few miles away and the crack of thunder rolled to them a few seconds later. Suddenly, another crack of thunder sounded through the forest. The wind carried another sound, that of an aluminum bat hitting a ball with preternatural strength and speed. The party of three instantly recognized it for what it was, a game.

Vampires.

They stopped running and stood completely motionless in the trees, waiting, listening.

Lightning. Thunder. The crack of a bat.

James turned to the male at his side, raising an eyebrow in an unspoken question.

Laurent shrugged his shoulders, "It's up to you." A subtle French accent to his words.

James swiveled his head to look at Victoria, her flaming red hair wild and wind blown as usual. "It'll be fun." He said.

Victoria reached out trying to feel the danger then, smiled wickedly, a slow deliberate curving of her lips. She would never refuse him anything. Even if it meant they might be walking straight into a situation they would ultimately be forced to escape from. She would know, she would feel it and he trusted her. James slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her body against his and kissed her hard, just the way she liked it. Then, with a slight change of direction, they were off at full speed, blowing between the old trees as if they were the wind itself.

James stepped out from the cover of the tall trees for a mere second, just to survey the situation before stepping back into the darkness, allowing Laurent to take the lead. They used subterfuge whenever they approached others of their kind to deceive and mislead. Though James was the leader of this small coven, Laurent appeared less threatening with his smooth hypnotic voice and sophisticated manner of speech. He would use his skill to negotiate while James and Victoria scrutinized every situation to gain the advantage, if one was needed. Slowly and with what would seem caution to those who observed them, they emerged from the forest in formation. Their eyes darted from one member of the large coven assembled in the meadow to the next before tightly closing their configuration.

Three of the males stepped forward. A tall handsome blonde a few steps ahead of the other two. The females and one lanky copper-haired male kept their distance across the meadow. From where Victoria stood shifting cat-like from one foot to the other, ever on guard, she could hear a faint rapid heartbeat, which she assumed to be from some hidden animal very close by in the forest. The vampires that stood before them were nicely clothed, clean and well kept. However, their eyes were strange, not the dark liquid burgundy associated with their kind, but a pale shade of sparkling gold. A noticeable amount of tension was in the air, buffeting the space around her, but nothing that would warrant a hasty retreat.

Laurent politely introduced the members of their small coven. The blonde leader introduce himself as Carlisle and then, using the word 'family', he waved his hand toward the group assembled behind him, six members in all, one of which was hidden from Victoria's sight at the moment. Laurent and Carlisle exchanged pleasantries and then Laurent asked about their hunting range, needing to know so the nomads could pass through before feeding again.

_"The Olympic Range here, up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion."_ Carlisle volunteered. _"We keep a permanent residence nearby. There's another permanent settlement like ours up near Denali."_

Victoria and James hid their surprise much better than Laurent, barely acknowledging the meaning of a permanent residence, something that both Victoria and James found intriguing. Nevertheless, when Carlisle invited them into his 'home', the two vampires could not help but exchange a glance.

_"That sounds very interesting, and welcome._" Laurent answered. _"We've been on the hunt all the way down from Ontario, and we haven't had the chance to clean up in a while." _Laurent made it clear he was a vampire who appreciated a shower and clean clothing now and then.

_"Please don't take offense, but we'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from hunting in this immediate area. We have to stay inconspicuous, you understand," _Carlisle explained.

Laurent assured him that they would not encroach on their territory explaining that they had eaten just outside of Seattle.

Carlisle invited the small coven to run with them to their home. Then, just as he instructed, off-handedly, that the ones named Emmett and Alice were to go with the two named Edward and Bella to get their Jeep, a very slight breeze ruffled the leaves and pines bringing the unmistakable scent of rich sweet human blood to each of the visitors sensitive nostrils.

James' head snapped around. His nose sought the source of the intoxicating fragrance just as Victoria's did. The tension that was so minor only seconds ago, now weighted the air like thick storm clouds.

_She is human!_ The thought flashed through Victoria's mind.

Within the next few seconds, snarling growls erupted in the quiet meadow. The young male lunged a protective step in front of the human girl as James also moved one step forward. Victoria saw every little movement James made from the corner of her eye. The level of danger to her and to James had risen in extremely volatile proportions. If he decided to attack, to take this human, she would go with him. Fight by his side as she always had.

_"What is this?"_ Laurent asked in surprise.

_What a fool._ Victoria thought of the lanky teenager who dared to strike a protective pose. _All this bravado over a silly human girl._

_"She's with us."_ Carlisle aimed his comment toward James.

_"You brought a snack?"_ Laurent's words conveyed his disbelief in such an unconcealed act. The scent of fear from this human had not been apparent until the young one tried to protect her from James.

_"I said she's with us."_ Carlisle repeated with more force aiming his statement at James once again.

It was clear to Victoria that this human was more than a pet or a snack. She belonged to the copper-haired male that crouched so ferociously in front of her. He had feelings for her.

_"But she's human."_ Laurent was unmistakably astonished to find that a coven of vampires would guard one human as if she were part of their coven.

_"Yes."_ Emmett, the large one, said, making it understood they would not give her up without a fight.

With the exception of the one tall blonde female who seemed to display only a vague distain for the girl, the rest of the coven were ready to defend this small frail human at all costs.

James moved out of his attack position, straightening up in order to appear less aggressive. Unfortunately, the damage was already done. This 'family' would never trust James to not take their little human the second she was left unprotected and they were very correct in thinking so. Victoria already knew that James had marked her. She would die at his teeth. No matter what this coven did to protect her, it would never be enough. James would track the human to the ends of the earth if need be. All the same, she would be his in the end.

Acting as leader, Laurent tried to smooth over what he knew was no small misunderstanding, it was a pointless attempt, but he tried nonetheless.

_"It appears we have a lot to learn about each other."_

Carlisle's response had lost some of its pleasantness as Laurent promised that his coven would not hurt this human or any other within Carlisle's hunting range. Victoria knew by James facial expression that he did not intend to keep such a promise. Still, Carlisle graciously invited Laurent, James and Victoria to run with them back to their home. The tiny dark haired female stepped in next to the girl as the tall lanky youth, Edward, who claimed her as his own, flanked the girl's other side. Emmett moved back to join them while the other vampires formed a line in front of Victoria, James and Laurent, effectively blocking their view of the retreating vampires.

As soon as the party guarding the little human disappeared into the forest, Carlisle motioned for those remaining to follow him in another direction. Victoria watched as Laurent willingly moved to step in line before glancing back. James quickly whispered instructions to Victoria and then, disappeared into the forest in another direction and after flashing Laurent an evil smile, Victoria also disappeared.

Victoria's cell phone vibrated in her hand and was open and up to her ear in less than the blink of an eye.

"You are not going to believe this!" James laughed quietly on the other end of the line. "They took her right to her house! From what I could tell, only one other human is living there and for right now, I need him alive. Where are you?"

"I'm waiting not far from their house. It's a big white monstrosity with all the lights on inside." Victoria replied. "Where are you now?"

"I'm following them. Edward and the girl will be pulling up in a big old red truck. Emmett is running next to them. The Jeep is right behind them, dear little Alice is driving."

Victoria wondered how James knew her name when, during the introduction, Carlisle had deliberately lumped all the women together. A flame of jealousy flickered within her. "I could take her out if you'd like. One less little female to contend with." Victoria smiled at the thought of ripping dear little Alice's head from her shoulders.

"No!" James barked into the phone. "Alice holds no interest for me now. Bella is all that matters. Let them work out their pitiful plans. It's so much more exciting this way."

She circled the big white house in the forest, moving silently through the trees to meet up with James. Now all the members of the Cullen coven were in the house, along with Laurent. Suddenly, the small cell phone vibrated in Victoria's pocket. James gave her precise instructions she intended to carry out to the letter.

Victoria ran with the old red truck. James told her to stay close to it, watch it carefully. She knew the drill, but it seemed odd… the truck carried the human girl's scent the heaviest. With a word from James, Victoria could kill the vampire who guarded the human, then hold the girl and wait for James to arrive. She would do whatever he requested of her without question. Always. He was off following one of the other cars. He would play out his game of hunter and prey and the girl's blood would be his. He would feed on her. Drain her of every precious drop. She would die a slow torturous death. Victoria had witnessed him in action hundreds of times, thousands of times. He was a master tracker. A merciless hunter. A ruthless killer.

Why hadn't James called? Why hadn't he come back for her? The last time she spoke with him was to tell him the Cullens were on their way to Phoenix. He had told her to stay with the girl's father in case he needed a hostage. He promised to call her, but it had been days without a word from him.

Where had Laurent disappeared to? _Laurent. That traitor._ He had run off to the north instead of fighting. _Coward._ Victoria had no doubt James would track him down and end his existence once and for all and she would be right by his side enjoying every second of Laurent's destruction.

The waiting was unbearable. Too much time had passed. James had never been out of touch this long before. He loved nothing more than to call Victoria to him so she too could enjoy the hunt. He was an arrogant male through and through and loved to brag, to show off his talent even if it was only to her. She looked forward to their reunions and the celebration that would follow. Now, sitting alone in the forest, she ached for him.

She didn't dare approach the house again. The danger of engaging in a fight was too near. James wanted her to watch the human. He would be extremely disappointed, to say the least, if she were run off or caught by the vamps that protected this human man. They had already caught her scent and from then on, never left him unguarded. But tonight, she had no need to get any closer. The human was speaking so loudly into the phone that she could make out his conversation from were she hid in the trees.

The human girl was still alive, injured, but still living.

_How is that possible? Where's James?_ She wondered frantically.

"Yes. I don't know how to thank you, Dr. Cullen. Bella was so lucky you were right there." The man paused for a moment. "Yes. I understand and thank you again."

Victoria couldn't see the human in the house, but just when she thought he had ended his phone conversation, he started talking again.

"Renee, hey, it's me. Listen… Bella's in the hospital. She fell down a flight of stairs and through a plate glass window." He paused. "No, yeah, she's … No … Wait … Renee, she's okay!" His voice shot up another octave, "Wait! She's not here, she's in Phoenix." Another pause. "It's a long story. God, I don't even really know what happened. She came home the other night yelling that she couldn't stay here any more. Packed a few things and ran out the door." He paused again. "What was I supposed to do? She went out on her first date and … Yes, a date … Edward Cullen … Edward Cullen, a boy from school. Well, when she came home … the way she was acting, I thought that maybe Edward had done something, ya know, hurt her maybe, but it wasn't that at all. She just… well, she just … made it clear that she didn't want to make any attachments here. She just wanted to go home to Phoenix and think." Another pause and then, "From what Dr. Cullen says, she's pretty banged up, broken leg, a few broken ribs, cuts and bruises, but otherwise she's doin' okay … Yeah, he's Edward's dad."

Victoria listened intently though the long pause, waiting to hear anything else of importance when Bella's father began shouting.

"What was _I_ thinking? What were _you_ thinking letting her come live here when you know she hates Forks almost as much as you do? As far as me chasing after her, well I'm sorry, but she made it perfectly clear that she didn't want to live here … with me, any longer than she had to. And this thing with Edward, well, I don't know all the details, but he flew down there to talk to her, try to convince her to come back to Forks and yes, _his father_ went along with him."

Victoria didn't stick around to hear the rest of the conversation. She knew where she had to go.

_Would they really have gone where they said they were going? Could they be so stupid to think that James would lose their trail?_

She had seen him successfully track humans even though they had taken a plane to another country. In the end, he always found them. Always. Humans were far too easy. When James wanted a real challenge, he tracked other, more elusive creatures.

She ran south and when the sky opened up and let loose a deluge, she ran to the highway. The very first car to pass her sodden on the side of the road, stopped to offer her a ride. Within seconds she had drained the driver and thrown his lifeless body far into the trees before climbing in behind the wheel and speeding off down the wet winding road.

As dawn approached, the clouds had thinned out and would give way to the sun. She left the car on the side of the road and traveled on foot, hidden, through the rolling hills that surrounded her.

When she reached Arizona, she also found the sun. In this flat expanse of desert, Victoria had no place to hide. The scrubby bushes were virtually no cover at all, so she was forced to travel only at night and far away from civilization. Any human she came across out here in the middle of nowhere deserved to die for being so foolish. When nightfall came, she moved quickly into the city, stopping once to feed, disposed of the body and then moved on.

Even after all this time she found James' scent easily. The dry desert climate baked it in to the ground. She followed it through the well-lit downtown area, past shops, offices and churches, down dark back streets, past schools and into typical human neighborhoods. The closer she got, the stronger his scent became, until she was standing outside one of the houses, her eyes closed as she breathed in deeply. A smile curved her lips as her body anticipated the feel of his. He was so close.

The house was dark as she crept forward, listening for signs of life inside. Her senses told her there was nothing to fear here. She tried the knob on the door. It turned easily in her hand as if someone had forgotten to lock it. She stepped into the foyer and listened to the silence. If there were someone inside, she would have heard their breathing, their heart beating, but … there was no one.

She sucked in a deep breath and was pleased to find James' wonderful smell was everywhere, mixed with the scent of the human girl he had been tracking. He had been there. Right there in that house and not too long ago either. Her nose led her over to the TV and a cabinet that held at least a hundred videotapes.

He had touched these things. His scent was all over them.

Then she followed his scent over to the phone. His hand had grasped the receiver; his breath had blown over the mouthpiece. She inhaled him. Missed him. Loved him.

Then, she moved out of the house, cat-like, following his scent down the street a couple of blocks. With each step, thousands of odors hit her, but she focused only on his, on James. Soon, the scent of him mingled with the scent of burnt wood. It wasn't the smell of smoke from a nearby fireplace. This was old, wet, burnt wood. Then suddenly, she found herself standing in front of a completely burned out building. Burned to the ground. Not a beam left standing due to the intense flames that must have swept through it.

_No._ Her mind whispered.

Numbly, her feet carried her through the burnt rubble, her nose followed the scent of her lover until she was standing in front of a pile of purplish gray ash.

_No. No._

Victoria fell to her knees, her hands scooping at the strange ash and bringing it to her nose.

_No! No! No! _Her mind screamed.

There was no mistake. This pile of ash had once been James, her James, her only love.

She smeared the ash over her stricken face. Reached down and filled her small hands once more, smearing it over her arms and neck as she silently sobbed.

_No! No! No!_

When she found her voice, she wailed to the warm starry sky. Her scream at such a high pitch it set off car alarms, woke every sleeping animal for miles and seeped into the dreams of every human for blocks, causing each to writhe in their sleep from the terror it instilled.


	2. Act II

Act II

It had been almost a year since she had seen Laurent. Though she was nowhere near the tracker James had been, Victoria knew there would not be many places Laurent would venture to go on his own. He was a different sort of vampire, he was not a loner. He craved companionship with his own kind. After searching for him for only a short time, she finally found him in Denali with the other strange coven of vampires Carlisle Cullen had spoken of that night they came upon them playing baseball.

Almost a year had passed since the death of James, her mate, her only love. She had been busy though, working on a plan to avenge her lover's death. Did the Cullen's really believe she would ever give up? Retribution. Vengeance. The need not only to kill or destroy, but to annihilate. These things filled her existence now.

She had returned to Washington a few times in the last year, but found that along with the Cullens constantly on guard, protecting their simple human _pet_, a new threat had come to the area. Victoria was forced to keep her distance while she worked at a plan to reach the human girl, without bringing harm to herself. Unfortunately, her plan had included the need to build a new coven. A coven ruled by her, bent on the destruction not only of Bella, but the entire Cullen 'family', as they saw themselves. Laurent was now going to become a major part of her coven, whether he came willingly to it or not.

In building her coven, she started with one, a young human male not even out of his teenage years. Riley was not the first she had tried to change. In the pursuit of prey to satisfy her nearly insatiable hunger, Victoria had forgotten how difficult it was to control her thirst enough to keep from draining humans once the sweet taste of their blood rushed into her mouth. At first, she wondered if she would ever be able to control her hunger enough, but her anger at the Cullens saw her through her task. After numerous attempts that ended with her prey drained and lifeless in her arms, she was rewarded with a male who was devoted to her, loved her, and believed every wicked lie she fed him from her deceitful lips. He believed every gentle caress, loving embrace, every promise whispered so seductively in a moment of passion. The truth was, she felt nothing. She would use him and discard him. She had created him for one purpose only and he was replaceable.

No more than a means to an end.

She had turned him only a few months ago needing him to get through his first year and gain some control over his thirst before taking him into battle with her. She needed his newborn strength, but she also needed him to follow her orders, she needed him to fight. However, she also needed him to survive long enough to help her take out all of the Cullens. When he performed a task as she expected, she rewarded him, fawned over him, gave herself to him to tie him to her. Nevertheless, even with his declarations of undying love, Riley would never take James' place. No other ever would.

Riley traveled with her tracking Laurent and when they found him, Laurent was never alone, always surrounded by the members of his new coven, mostly female. One female in particular seemed to never leave Laurent's side. By what Victoria had observed of them, the way Laurent and the female carried on in private, he didn't seem too eager to leave her either. It seemed he had fully integrated himself into their strange lifestyle with their avoidance of humans, feeding solely on the blood of indigenous animals. It turned her insides to stand back and witness something so obscene. There was no mistaking it, Laurent's eyes were the same sparkling shade of gold as the Cullens and every other member of this peculiar Denali coven.

Victoria waited patiently for two days and soon benefited from her patience when Laurent left the house to hunt on his own. After ordering Riley to stay hidden and wait until she returned, she followed Laurent as he moved silently through the forest, passing up herds of caribou that roamed nearby. _Wasn't this his new food of choice?_ She wondered. After hesitating for only a moment, Laurent picked up speed moving faster and faster seemingly following his nose to his next meal. Victoria unexpectedly picked up the scent Laurent had locked onto.

Humans.

She followed Laurent and within seconds, two men outfitted in bright orange hunting gear appeared through the trees ahead. Both carried weapons as they walked through the forest in what they probably thought was silence. Victoria heard every footfall, every broken twig and crushed fallen leaf, every breath, and every heartbeat.

Laurent stepped out from the cover of the trees and greeted the humans. The men were startled at first, but quickly fell into Laurent's trap as he used his voice to dispel their fears. Then, Victoria stepped forward revealing herself. Her menacing smile was brilliant as the human males looked upon her. She pitched her voice just right as she spoke.

"Maybe we could share." Her sultry words enticed them, causing the humans to believe that it was she who was willing to share something with _them_. Laurent's golden eyes locked onto hers showing very little sign of surprise as he gave her an almost imperceptible nod in agreement.

Just as Laurent leapt at one of the humans, sinking his teeth in before taking him down, Victoria leapt on the other, slashing and biting as her victim cried out, struggling wildly, fighting back with all his human strength, which was no match for hers. Her venom paralyzed her prey as her teeth tore his paper-thin flesh to shreds before she began to drink voraciously from the huge gaping wound she had inflicted on his neck. His thrashing subsided and he lay still as Victoria drained him.

Victoria's eyes never left Laurent as they fed. The eyes of Laurent's victim stared at her in horror while his body twitched uncontrollably in Laurent's grasp. Then the light faded from them as Laurent quickly and neatly drained him. That was something Victoria could never understand. For being a bloodthirsty vampire, Laurent was always civilized. His kills were always clean. He bit once and held tight, never taking the time to enjoy the thrill of his prey struggling to free themselves, never openly stalking his prey or prolonging the moments before feeding, never standing back to watch the realization of impending death creep into his victims faces just before the attack came that ended their pitiful, meaningless lives. Victoria relished all of it.

When Victoria had finished, she stood, lightly stepped over the lifeless body that lay dead and drained at her feet, then, closed the space between her and Laurent in a flash. Her hand flew out and struck his face with such force, he flew into a tree, snapping it off at the base and traveled with it 10 more yards. Victoria jumped on him, pinning him to the ground as she snarled and hissed in his face, the blood from the kill dripping from her chin onto his neck.

"I was wondering when you and James would track me down." Laurent smiled up at her.

"I should destroy you right now." Victoria grabbed his hair, roughly pulling his head to the side to expose his neck.

Laurent chuckled, oblivious to his current situation. "Ahhh, but James would be extremely unhappy if you did."

"James is gone!" Her teeth snapped a hairsbreadth away from Laurent's cold flesh. Laurent stiffened beneath her, finally realizing the danger he was in. "His ashes have been scattered to the wind." Her hateful whisper was full of cruel malevolence and desperate longing.

"I'm sorry." He tried to pitch his voice to calm her, but it only infuriated her more.

"Liar." She hissed again as her teeth grazed over his skin slightly marring the surface. She wanted to bite him, to tear his head from his torso and turn him into the same pile of purplish ash that James had become in the end.

"Was it the Cullen boy? Did he take James from you?"

"I don't know which one of them did it and I don't care. They will all pay for taking him. Starting with that human girl."

"Victoria, I will join with you. Let me help."

"You say that now that my teeth are so close to your throat. You volunteer so eagerly when your own existence hangs by a thread." Victoria backed off, still sitting on top of him. It was exactly what she wanted. To send him into Washington to test the boundaries and the strength of the new threat that seemed to be protecting the area. As far as she knew, there was only one, a rogue wolf obviously too far from his home. She would let Laurent deal with it so she could concentrate on Bella and the Cullens.

Sweet, delicate, delicious Bella. Victoria could almost taste her. The scent of her blood was something she would never forget.

Victoria stood, stepping a few paces back from Laurent as he got up from the ground brushing himself off.

Victoria's dark ruby eyes never left Laurent for a second. She cautiously watched his every movement as he so casually smoothed his clothing and ran his long pale fingers through his hair. She would destroy him if she had to. Finally, he looked up and held her gaze. Victoria watched as Laurent's eyes slowly filled in with the dark burgundy red of all vampires who feasted on humans.

"I suppose you have a plan."

"You will go back to Forks. See what the Cullens are up to and then find Bella Swan. Once you have her, you will call me." She pulled a small cell phone from her pocket and handed it over to him. "My number is on there." Laurent eyes never left hers as he took the little phone from her hand. "And, what was that?" Victoria swept her hand toward the dead humans lying only yards away from them. "Just when I thought you were taken in by this new lifestyle, I find you out… cheating."

His slow sly smile told her all she needed to know. He was never really one of them.

"Yes, I miss the rush, the taste, the _need_ to kill."

"Then this _is_ your lucky day. You've had fun with your little female and a decent meal and now you have the opportunity to join me on a hunt." An evil smile flashed across her face as Laurent cocked an eyebrow at her. "I might even let you have a go at that little human. You see, I don't plan on bleeding her right away. By the time I'm done taking out my revenge, she will beg me to take her blood."

"I'll do whatever you need me to do." He answered almost too quickly.

"Really?" Victoria was curious. She cocked her head to the side, staring off into the distance toward the house Laurent had been living in. "What is that little female to you? The one you've taken up with…Irina. Obviously you haven't committed yourself to her or you wouldn't be so eager to leave." Her devious question was filled with malice. It was a threat meant to keep Laurent to his word. Victoria was giving him no choice. No matter his reply, the female's life was forfeit the second Laurent took an interest in her and by Laurent's reluctance to answer, she knew he understood all too clearly. She watched him carefully as they stood alone in the forest, waiting for his answer. His reply was not in words, but in his slight sigh of resignation.

_This couldn't have worked out better._ Victoria beamed.

She would send Laurent on a mission to find Bella and hold her until she could meet up with him. If he took care of the monster she had encountered there, all the better. Then together with Riley, they would go after the Cullens and one by one, they would all perish. Then, she would go after the boy, the one named Edward. She wanted him to suffer hard and long before putting him out of his misery. She wanted him to feel the utter loneliness that she felt every second of everyday. She wanted to leave him with nothing. Nowhere to run and no one to turn to. Leave him writhing in anguish before she personally ended his existence.

Laurent had not called and once again, Victoria found it necessary to count the days, hours and minutes. If he had met with disaster, she could not feel it from this distance. However, if he had betrayed her to the Cullens, she would slay him the second she saw him. Victoria stayed hidden with Riley in Denali, spying on the strange coven that seemed to be on friendly terms with the Cullen 'family'. The word 'family' caused a nasty taste in her mouth. Vampires did not have _family_. They were killers, all of them. No matter the quarry, the end was the same. It was repulsive to even begin to think that a vampire would turn away from their natural prey and seek the blood of lesser animals.

However, she stayed in the shadows, watching, listening and hearing things about the Cullens that she could possibly use to her advantage during battle. One being, that the tiny female, Alice, had the ability to see the future. Something that may prove to be a problem if she were to see what Victoria had planned. Could she see another vampire's future if it mingled with hers? It was a chance Victoria was willing to take and she would make sure the army she built would be more than a match for a coven of five.

All Victoria really wanted for herself was the girl. That small, frail, human _pet_.

If Edward, was willing to protect this girl with his existence and that of his coven's, why didn't he just turn her? What was he trying to accomplish by leaving her human? This Cullen coven was truly bizarre beyond anything Victoria had encountered in her long life.

Victoria could remain in Alaska no longer. She and Riley had traveled south to Washington and straight to Seattle awaiting Laurent's call. Seattle was a large city with more than enough inhabitants to sustain two hungry vampires for a short period of time. Victoria began to train Riley in the art of recruitment. Even if Laurent had returned to the Cullens, she would still need an army to wipe them out and Laurent would just be one more they would obliterate. Victoria would never give up her quest for revenge, no matter how long it took.

The waiting was eating away at her. She had no choice but to go to Forks and make sure that Laurent either had joined the Cullens or had been disposed of by them. If she happened upon Bella Swan unprotected, she would give her all she deserved and take from her all she wanted.

She circled the big white house, inching closer and closer until she was within yards of it. Her senses told her there was nothing to fear. There were no cars anywhere to be seen. Even though vampires were virtually silent in everything they did, if they were present, she would have felt something. She moved in closer until she was able to clearly see through the front window. The house was completely vacant. Even though their smell still permeated the area, the Cullens had left some time ago, possibly a span of some months. There were no fresh tire tracks. No fresh footprints of any kind. Dust, dirt and debris lay on the huge porch undisturbed by nothing more than the wind and a few small stray animals.

_So, where is Bella Swan? Where is Laurent?_

Laurent's scent was one that she should have been able to pick up if he had been there in that house for any length of time, even the scent of his trail if he had come here recently. But, there was nothing. She searched the surrounding area and Laurent's scent was just not there.

_He never came here. He must have found out that the Cullens were already gone and never bothered to come here._ It was the only explanation she could think of. Except…_What if he ran into that beast?_

She ran south, traveling around Forks for now. Her curiosity peaked at the thought that Laurent might have taken on the creature she had encountered. She traveled ever closer at a blinding pace when suddenly, out of nowhere, she felt it. Rage. Then, beast appeared. A huge wolf erupting out of the forest, heading straight for her. She altered her course, running faster than she ever had before. The snarls and howling taking place behind her were not coming from one beast alone, but from a pair. She turned her head enough to see them barreling down on her at an incredible rate of speed.

_What the hell?_ Victoria ran faster still, until unexpectedly, they seemed to fall behind. Far behind. She slowed and turned to see two wolves the size of horses slowly prowling to and fro, snarling and snapping in her direction, but coming no closer, as if there were an imaginary border they could not cross. She ran deeper into the forest before stopping and listening to the wolves sing in harmony. Their piercing howls cutting easily through the dark night as other more distant howls answered back.

_There are more of those filthy dogs! Could they have taken down Laurent? Could they have caught him before he even had a chance to find that the Cullens were gone?_

_And what about Bella?_

From her vantage point in the water, Victoria could see Bella clearly. She had driven her truck out to the cliffs and now stood perched on the edge. Victoria had watched many times as the boys jumped off. They were only boys in age, not in size. They were much taller than normal boys, huge, well muscled, strong and yet more graceful than any human she had ever seen before. And they stunk. The odor of werewolf hung around them like a thick heavy blank. Bella had been with them, seemingly, protected by them at all times.

_What is it with this human that the males around her find so fascinating? Did the werewolves run the Cullens off? Did they battle with them, destroying them and all evidence of their existence?_

Victoria didn't really care so long as she could get Bella Swan alone and right then… she was alone. Very much alone. Victoria swam closer, waiting, watching the lone human girl stand at the edge of the cliff, slightly swaying in the breeze, her arms held out and then she was falling.

Victoria saw her hit the water and waited for her to surface. When she didn't, Victoria started swimming. She swam fast, cutting through the water like a shark, smooth and graceful and even more deadly. Her normally blood-red eyes were black from hunger, black from hate, her mouth drawn back in a snarl that exposed her razor sharp teeth. Thirst drove her just as much as her hatred. Then suddenly, something huge hit the water in front of Bella and when Victoria focused on it, her forward momentum stopped immediately. Two of the werewolves had come, one on the shore and one in the water. He had transformed into his human form and with his arm already secured around the seemingly unconscious Bella, his other arm was stroking through the lashing waves at a tremendous speed.

Victoria hung back wanting to scream, wanting to fight her natural instincts that told her this boy was dangerous, thrash through the stormy sea and take what was hers. Spill Bella Swan's blood over the sand as she tore her throat to shreds. The need to kill her and bathe in her blood was almost overwhelming. She had never been so close to her prize and to have her once again snatched away was exceedingly maddening. She watched as the huge teenager brought Bella to the shore and then raised his hand, slapping her on the back repeatedly until she regained consciousness. Her need to torture and bleed this little human to heal her own wounds drove her so close to the edge of insanity that she almost charged from the water in an attempt to take her.

_And why not? There are only two of those stinking creatures!_

But… she didn't. Her sense of self-preservation was too strong. Those werewolves wouldn't protect her forever. With the Cullens gone, Victoria had all the time in the world.

Victoria sank below the surface of the waves and swam north along the shoreline. She would go back to Seattle. Finish building her army. Bring them to Forks and use them to preoccupy the werewolves while she went after the human girl. She would use them in whatever manner she needed.

Victoria wondered once again if the Cullens were forced to leave or if they were somehow destroyed by this pack of wolves. The reasons they were no longer around didn't matter to her. Evidently, Bella had been left behind, abandoned to the care of these dogs. As long as Bella Swan was hers in the end, the sacrifice of Riley and her newborn army would be well worth it. Besides, she never intended they would survive anyway.


	3. Act III

Act III

Victoria didn't seem to be able to fight the compulsion that gripped her day and night. She had to try… try to get to her. Just… one… more… time.

_Bella. Bella. Bella. _

The name pulsed in her brain like a phantom heartbeat until she was certain she would go insane from need. The need to witness the unadulterated terror in Bella's eyes as she stalked her. The need to hear her screams as she tore into her soft flesh. The need to feel her last heartbeat as it pumped her sweet blood into Victoria's mouth. Above all, the need to taste Bella's death.

Victoria hadn't even been close to Bella's house when she felt danger eddying closer and closer, moving within the sphere of her senses. Then, she caught the familiar scent of her enemies, heard their nearly silent footsteps racing toward her in the dark, only seconds after she smelled them. Her gift quickly informed her that not only were they coming at her at great speed, they were hunting her, chasing her down.

_But… where is Edward?_

If she had made it to Bella's house, there was no doubt in her mind that she would have found them both there. Together. Alone.

Apparently, while she was busy building an army to distract the wolves in order to remove Bella from their protection, the Cullens had decided to return to Forks. She was in no way prepared to confront them on her own and if they caught her now, all her well-laid plans would be for nothing.

She turned and ran, speeding along over the leaf-covered ground as fast as she could. Then, though she couldn't smell them yet, danger of another kind buffeted her senses. She heard the heavy breathing and felt the strong pounding footfalls of the werewolves that lived nearby. She could feel their speed rumble through the ground and this time it was more than one or two that pursued her. By the sudden stench that reached her nose, the werewolves seemed to have an army of their own, a pack of angry, smelly dogs.

All her keen senses screamed at her to go faster, to escape the danger that was coming at her from both sides, but she beat it down. Did the these two opposing sides have any knowledge of the other? Yes, the werewolves definitely knew of her existence, but what would they do when faced with a coven of vampires?

Her brain worked quickly to use these two natural enemies to her best advantage.

As each dangerous faction drew closer to her, she ran within yards of the wolves territory, traveling as close to their boundary as possible, hoping to draw them out. With the Cullens so close behind her, it was her hope that the two enemies would clash, come together, and destroy one another, leaving little for her army to deal with in the end.

She slowed her pace only slightly, keeping just ahead and dangerously in reach of the one brawny vampire she remembered as Emmett. Suddenly, one of the wolves that had been gaining ground on her, snapped his huge jaws not in her direction, but at the vampire who's hand had reached out to snatch her from behind.

Just as she had hoped and expected, the sounds of snarling vampires and growling werewolves filled the air behind her. She glanced back for only a second to see the vampire and werewolf tumbling to the ground in a great heap. Arms and legs twisting and flailing, fists driving and teeth slashing. A wicked smirk crept to her face as she poured on the speed and ran even faster.

She would switch to another plan of attack. Obviously, what she had over heard from the coven in Denali about the tiny black haired Cullen with the gift of foresight, Alice had seen her coming. But… would she see the approach of another vampire? A newborn she had never had any contact with before. Would Alice see the motives? Victoria would have to risk it.

~*~*~*~

A wonderful floral scent floated through the air the moment Riley stepped inside the door, his arm wrapped around a lumpy pale pillowcase. Every muscle in her body tightened. That delicious smell set her teeth on edge and her venom flowing. Victoria sighed and breathed in deeply with each breath. Riley smiled at her, his face brightening. Victoria could tell he was very happy to see her. Unfortunately, for him, her pleasant reaction to his arrival had little to do with him beyond the fact that he succeeded in returning, his mission complete.

Victoria stood and though she wanted to race across the room and yank the bundle from Riley's arms, she held back, practically slithering to his side. Her hand caressed his arm, his chest and finally the soft worn pillowcase he held.

"Tell me everything you saw, everything you heard." She whispered.

"That coven is very close to her. I could smell them, more than one of them… in her room." Riley shook his head. "How do they do that? Live so closely with humans and not feed from them?" Victoria didn't bother to answer. It was just as much a mystery to her as it was to Riley.

"I saw two of them." Riley added. "Not up close and they never saw me. The man had blonde hair, young, maybe in his early twenties and the woman had kind of golden brown hair, about the same age, driving a black Mercedes, heading into town." He placed the pillow he'd been carrying on the make-shift table in front of her and began pulling out what he had shoved inside, a pair of socks, a gray sweatshirt, a red blouse along with a few other pieces of clothing. Each one saturated with Bella's compelling fragrance.

Victoria took the pillow, held it to her face, breathing deeply. Then, she lowered her ravenous black eyes. A wicked murderous thrill shot though her body. It was not only Bella's perfume that excited her, Edward's scent permeated this fabric also.

Now she would have her full revenge. The thought curved her mouth into an evil smile. Her desire for Bella had taken over her every sense. She would punish her, torture her, and bleed her dry before the eyes of the vampire who came back for her.

Vendetta. That's what it used to be called. Bloody retaliation is what Victoria called it. It was all that filled her sadistic mind. No past. No future. Only the present. Only the constant manic drive to kill. To exact her revenge on the human girl whose scent had been burned onto her brain, into every crystalline cell of her body, just as it would soon be burned into every newborn she created.

Riley had proven his worth by creeping into Bella's bedroom and stealing her personal belongings. Every article carrying her luscious aroma would be passed around like bits of soft candy between the members of her army to taste with their nostrils instead of their mouths. Victoria would have them memorize Bella's fragrance like a pack of braying bloodhounds and there would be nowhere in Forks that Bella could hide.

She instructed Riley on what needed to be done. She used him as her liaison; to lie to the newborns, mislead them with falsehoods just as she deceived Riley with promises. Promises of a future full of eternal love. He knew nothing of her past, nothing of her love for James. She had filled Riley's head with lies, fabricated reasons why the Cullens would attack in Seattle and instead of waiting like lambs to be slaughtered; she would take the fight to them. Protect their territory.

_Their_ territory. Hers and his.

However, just the thought of sharing herself with any other than James twisted her insides and each time she gave her body to Riley, it was all she could do not to tear his head from his neck. Nevertheless, she did what she had to do, no matter that on some level, it made her feel as if she were betraying the very man she was seeking to avenge.

Victoria was very careful to never mix with the newborns. Each time she fed and successfully changed another human, she left them to Riley to bring to heel, to organize, though many were hard to control in their newborn state. Not only did they slip away to feed, they fought endlessly amongst themselves so much that Victoria was often forced to turn more to replace ones that had been killed during their petty fights.

She had wanted more. She had wanted to launch an invasion of sorts. She didn't care if they wiped the entire town of Forks from the earth. It didn't matter to her how many would die or even if she herself were to be hunted down and destroyed for risking the exposure of their kind. So long as she could feel Bella's flesh between her teeth, her blood, hot and sweet, as it flowed down her throat. For James, her only love, it would all be worth it.

~*~*~*~

Time was a luxury she could no longer afford to waste. She had to make a decision. She resigned herself to the fact that this was a battle she may not win. There was no win or lose, only destroy and believe in the end. Once Bella lay dead and cold at her feet, she would again use the only talent she had and find a way out. Sacrifice all to the one goal. Riley and her army of newborns were essential for this one task and if any remained, she would kill them herself.

She made a decision, set the date, informed Riley, and stuck to it. If Alice saw her coming, so be it. Victoria had a violent offensive force against a coven of five strangely obscene drinkers of animal blood. How strong could they possibly be intermingling with humans and subsisting on such a weak horrid diet? Keeping all this in mind, she felt the odds were drastically in her favor.

~*~*~*~

The closer the day came to let loose her army on the Cullens, the more Victoria realized she was closer to her own destruction. Her brain was clouded with doubt. Riley had informed her that her newborns fought endlessly amongst themselves, killing off one another as fast as she was creating them. Riley had delegated duties to the oldest of the newborns and any who had fed on humans and failed to hide the evidence were quickly put to death as a lesson to those who would do the same. This drastically cut down the unexplained human deaths and turned them in to disappearances, taking the threat of exposure of the vampire race down to a manageable level.

Still, any other vampire would see what was happening in Seattle as a sign of a newborn out of control. If she didn't move quickly, no doubt someone would come looking for her and they would show no mercy whatsoever.

Even though grief and revenge had ruled her existence for so long, she found she was not ready to give up her life, such as it was. She had changed her mind once again, deciding to let the newborns have Bella, knowing full well, if even one newborn laid its hands on her, Bella would be torn to bits. Just the thought of Bella's bloody destruction sent a darkly delicious thrill through Victoria's icy veins.

She instructed Riley to send the newborns ahead in two groups, keeping Riley with her, trailing behind. Promising they would help when and if, she deemed it necessary for them to do so. However, if Bella fell into her hands through some unimaginable circumstances, she would gladly bleed her and revel in every second of it. The annihilation of the Cullen _family_ and their _pet_ would do much to settle the ache in her dead heart. Still, she was content with her decision to let her frenzied army indulge in the savagery of tearing Bella to shreds along with as many of the Cullens they could destroy as well. Then, she would send Riley in and even if a few of the Cullen 'family' survived, it was not in a vampire's nature to show mercy. They would massacre every last newborn, including Riley, and never know who had sent them or why. Her plan could not be any more perfect.

~*~*~*~

_Edward_. Victoria was positive of it. His unmistakable scent meandered far from the trail her newborn army followed into Forks. Though she could smell only Edward, she wondered if this was a diversionary tactic. Were the Cullens hoping to separate her troops? Then again… where ever Edward was, there was a possibility that Bella would be there also. She and Riley broke off from the path and pursued Edward's trail instead, traveling the almost 9 miles in only a matter of minutes. Danger beat at her, bombarding her senses with a warning she chose to ignore.

_It's only Edward. It's only Edward. One lone vampire._

Victoria took Riley's hand, stopping him as she listened to the forest around her then, wrapped her arms around him, kissing him passionately as his hands moved all over her. Victoria broke the kiss and whispered.

"It's only one of them, only Edward." She traced her tongue along his neck as his hands gripped at her, holding her to him. "You know what I want, Riley. Kill him."

Victoria and Riley crept out of the forest, their footsteps nearly silent in the fluffy new snow that had fallen during the night. There, across the clearing, back against the rock face that stood somewhat above them was the object of Victoria's all-consuming obsession, Bella Swan. The sound of her heart racing, pounding thick warm blood through her veins, was a clear sweet melodious song. Each heated breath panting in and out of her lungs was easily heard across the small clearing. The wind gently gusting through the trees wafted Bella's delicious bouquet in every direction at once.

Every cell in Victoria's body came alive as if an electric current were shooting through her veins. Venom poured into her mouth. Each deep inhalation through her nose burned like fire as it traveled throughout her lungs. She had never felt the pull of prey like this before and wondered for only a second if this was how James felt when he finally caught up to his long sought after quarry. It was a high of sorts.

Of course, just as Victoria knew he would be, Edward was there, crouched in an attitude of dark distinctive possessiveness. Where else would Bella be if not by his side or hidden behind him? Though it didn't show on Victoria's face, it pleased her to no end to find Edward and Bella alone, unprotected by the other members of their bizarre coven.

_So… they knew I was coming for her. His precious pet. Did he really think taking her a few miles from her home would hide her from me? If he really wanted to save her so badly, he should have shipped her off to some other country. What an idiot. But, maybe… Alice didn't see me coming in time… maybe …_

Suddenly, the wind whipped Bella's fragrant fear around the clearing and Victoria sucked it in deeply with each deliberate breath she took. Her searing thirst for vengeance was never stronger than at that very moment. Venom spilled into her mouth again, a deluge that coated her teeth and her tongue in the paralyzing poison that would practically shoot into Bella's veins.

Consumed with hunger and the need to kill the human girl, Victoria found she could hardly keep her eyes from her. Victoria's acute senses shrieked at the present danger, but she denied them, shoved them to the back of her crazed mind. Bella had been the focus of her existence for so long now and to have her so close made the desire to taste her blood impossible to resist. She could feel the gnawing hunger in every cell of her body as each muscle coiled and tightened her into an attack position. She moved lightly on her toes, her knees bent, ready to propel her forward at the first sign of an opening.

Out somewhere far in the distance came the cry of a lone wolf. Victoria wondered for only a moment if the presence of her newborn army would attract the pack of werewolves that seemed to guard the land southwest of Forks. It didn't matter. It couldn't happen. It was broad daylight. They couldn't change during the day. Besides, her newborns were more than a match for anyone or anything who might be foolish enough to come investigate the goings on. After catching a glimpse of the size of her army, Victoria was certain they would literally turn tail and run.

Riley looked over to her for direction and with the slightest lift of her chin, she let him know it was time. Delicious ferocity ran like a storm through her veins as she held Bella's trembling body in her sight. But, before Riley even took a step forward, his name came softly from between Edward's lips.

"_Riley,"_ Victoria's brilliant deep crimson eyes flashed at Edward. His face was soft and pleading. Something she was very glad to see. "_She's lying to you, Riley. Listen to me. She's lying to you just like she lied to the others who are dying now in the clearing. You know that she's lied to them, that she had _you_ lie to them, that neither of you were ever going to help them. Is it so hard to believe that she's lied to you, too?"_

_How could he know this? _Victoria's mind raced. _Kill him, go ahead, kill him. _Victoria thought, not really knowing which vampire she wanted killed, Riley or Edward. It didn't matter. One would kill the other and give her the seconds she needed to put her teeth to Bella's throat, her fist through Bella's flesh and bone, grasp her fragile human heart and tear it from her chest. Victoria would leave no doubt that Bella would be beyond saving, beyond turning.

Victoria watched closely as Edward moved small, almost insignificant amounts in Riley's direction, each movement taking him fractions of an inch from her prey. She didn't bother to chance a glance at Riley, he was as good as dead now. She could only hope he would keep Edward engaged in a fight long enough for her to have her fill of the sweet human before having to kill her. She would not have the time to torment Bella as she would have liked, but just the satisfaction of killing her while Edward, her mate, looked on in helpless horror, would be enough.

_Oh yes, it would be more than enough._

Edward moved again, this time by a few inches and from the corner of her eye, Victoria saw Riley do the same.

"_She doesn't love you, Riley, she never has."_ Victoria had to admit Edward had skills, something that had been alluded to by a few members of the Denali coven, though Victoria never really caught their full meaning. Edward's voice was also quite enthralling to one who had no will of his own. Victoria was quickly realizing that if Edward kept speaking, Riley would be compelled to succumb to his arguments. _"She loved someone named James, and you're no more than a tool to her." _

The sound of her beloved's name coming from Edward's mouth was almost more than she could stand. She fought down the urge to fly at Bella, with her guardian still much too close, but she didn't bother keeping the evil contortion of her lips from spreading her mouth, baring her razor sharp teeth.

_You know nothing._ She wanted shriek at him even though she found she could not bear to look away from Bella's terrified face. Her voracious vampire instinct was set to one thing only and she would take blatant sadistic pleasure in Bella's death.

"_Riley?" _Edward's voice was full of truth though Victoria was still unsure how he could know so much, unless Alice's gift of seeing the future included more detail than Victoria ever thought possible._ "She knows that I will kill you, Riley. She wants you to die so that she doesn't have to keep up the pretense anymore. Yes – you've seen that, haven't you? You've read the reluctance in her eyes, suspected a false note in her promises. You were right. She's never wanted you. Every kiss, every touch was a lie."_

Edward moved ever so slightly toward Riley widening the small space between him and the girl. Again, venom shot into Victoria's mouth as her blazing eyes calculated the distance and the seconds it would take to reach her prize.

"_You don't have to die, there are other ways to live than the way she's shown you. It's not all lies and blood, Riley. You can walk away right now. You don't have to die for her lies." _Each word was so smooth, so silky and full of promises. Promises of mercy. Victoria could almost feel Riley giving in, could see it in her peripheral vision. Riley's body loosening, going the slightest bit slack. Edward somehow knew and Riley was beginning to believe the truths.

She watched in silence as Edward moved toward Riley once more. She leaned into the attack, ready to spring at any second. Then she heard a quiet, almost pleading whisper come once more from Edward, as far from a threat as it could possibly be.

"_Last chance, Riley." _

Riley caught Victoria's eyes and held them for only a moment. She could sense a deepening understanding in him that perchance Edward was telling the truth, that maybe he would not have to die today; perhaps there really was another way to exist in this cruel world. Edward had shaken his resolve and Victoria would lose everything if Riley backed down.

"_He's the liar, Riley. I told you about their mind tricks. You know I love only you."_ She tried to smile at him, reassure him, but she knew it was not much more than a grimace of gleaming teeth. Nevertheless, her profession of love seemed to spur him on, his body became ridged, pulling once again into attack mode.

Victoria's body shook with excitement as she saw the determination come back into Riley's eyes.

_Just a few more inches …Draw him off just a few more…_

Her senses were overwhelmed all of a sudden. A swiftly growing menace was coming at her, moving silent and fast. Then, from behind Edward and Bella came an unfamiliar bestial snarl. Not vampire. An animal snarl. With little more than a seconds warning, a huge tan werewolf blasted out from between Bella and Edward, flying at Riley, pinning him to the ground, ripping at him with its massive jaws and teeth.

"_No!" _Victoria couldn't believe what she was seeing. This strange animal is what compounded the danger she had sensed. Not only Edward's presence, but also one of the werewolves. One she had not seen before. Moreover, with his arrival and attack solely focused on Riley, it left her to deal with Edward.

She had no choice. Destroy the one who took her only love from her, execute this utterly unnatural vampire freak or … or run. Run knowing that she would never have this opportunity again, never have Bella Swan this close, so close she could taste her sweat on the breeze.

Victoria's mind raced on so many different levels. Jumbled. Muddled. Chaotic. She tried to concentrate on her prey, but no matter which way she moved, Edward moved there one second faster, as if he were the one orchestrating this macabre dance instead of her. She tried to block out Edward's words, her deadly gaze fixed on Bella's every breath, every heartbeat that pulsed frantically beneath the surface of her nearly translucent flesh.

No matter how far Edward's feet moved him from his pet, it was never quite enough for Victoria to slip past. She wondered if James would have done the same for her. If he loved her enough to put himself in front of her, protect her, fight for her.

_Yes, yes he loved me. He would have fought for me._

_Run._

How could Edward possibly love this… this… food?

_She's human! She can never love him!_

_Run._

Bella could never feel the bond that is shared when vampires find their mates.

_James loved me._

_Run! Run! Now!_

Edward's voice, so hypnotic, so silky broke through the ripping, screeching sounds of Riley's battle that filled the little meadow.

"_Don't go, Victoria, you'll never get another chance like this."_

Victoria's hard lips peeled back from her teeth as she hissed at him. Still, he continued to taunt her, pull her to him with his words.

"_You can always run later. Plenty of time for that. It's what you do, isn't it? It's why James kept you around."_

_No._

"_Useful, if you like to play deadly games. A partner with an uncanny instinct for escaping."_

_No! _

"_He shouldn't have left you – he could have used your skills when we caught up to him in Phoenix." _

The entrancing sound of Edward's voice shredded her dead heart. Every word he spoke fanned the fires of hatred she had carried inside her since the night she found James ashes. _Shut up!_ Another snarl ripped through her.

"_That's all you ever were to him, though. Silly to waste so much energy avenging someone who had less affection for you than a hunter for his mount."_

_No! No! James loved me! _It was the only thing she had left to hold on to so she chanted it like a child's lullaby.

"_You were never more than a convenience to him. I would know." _Edward's hand moved to his head, a finger tapping lightly at his temple.

Then the truth hit her full force_. _James would have run long before this… she would have seen to it. She had always been the one to protect him. She saw it all now. She was only a tool made for his use. A tool he used in every way possible. Dark desperate fury roared inside her, it stung like acid in the back of her throat as she screamed in frustration, betrayal and loathing. Loathing for Bella. If not for her, James would still be here and it didn't matter any longer that James may not have cared for her in the way she had wanted, he would still exist. Victoria's glare locked onto Bella and without even a second's thought, her feet moved her forward toward her prey.

Suddenly, Edward attacked and Victoria's resolve faltered in that moment. Her mind and body raced as she defended every blow, never once connecting with her own. She could see and hear every blow Riley took from the werewolf, every bite the animal inflicted. The crunching pealing sounds of stone against stone rang out loud and clear through the quiet forest as both pairs of fighters battled for one goal… to destroy the other.

As Victoria moved through the small trees, she realized how futile her attempts to kill the girl had become. She had never fought before. Not in any real since of the word. She never stayed around long enough for the fight, always running, always protecting James first and foremost. Edward was so much more experienced, quicker, obviously trained and skilled. Fearless. Valiant even.

Each small retreating step Victoria placed on the soft ground was proof of her cowardice, of her need for self-preservation above all else. Nevertheless, the pull of Bella's blood, the urge to take her life, had permanently shifted something inside her that could barely be controlled.

If only Riley could throw off the werewolf, kill him, even injure him severely, he could divert Edward's attention from her for the briefest of moments. He could give her the seconds she needed to race in for the kill. She wouldn't have time to bleed Bella dry, but the injuries she would inflict would insure there was no way possible she could be turned. Death would come too swiftly to Bella Swan.

As she moved and dipped away from Edward's blindingly fast blows, Victoria saw the werewolf back off, circling Riley as it readied for another attack, its enormous body moving closer and closer to her opponent. Victoria was struck by the focus and concentration this werewolf seemed to have. Surrounded by three deadly vampires, this strange werewolf was completely unafraid. Bold in his every move. Almost playful.

_Turn around you mangy mutt!_ She screamed in her head. _Turn and strike!_

Slowly, gracefully the monster moved until its massive tail brushed almost lovingly across Edward's back. To her astonishment, Edward didn't recoil, much less flinch from the dangerous animal that paced so closely behind him.

Her mind struggled to comprehend why the werewolf didn't attack the one vampire standing closest to it? The easy prey. The sure kill. The one vampire who had his back to it? Why did it pass Edward by to continue its assault on Riley?

_Turn around! Take him!_

"_No, he won't turn on me,"_ Victoria allowed herself a second glance at the werewolf as Edward's voice whispered softly somewhere near her. _"You provided us with a common enemy. You allied us."_

_Us? The Cullens? The werewolves? I provided them with an ally? But it's… daylight!_

Victoria's crazed mind struggled with the fact that this giant beast could take form at will, without the help of moon madness that drove so many werewolves to hunt and kill. She had come across them only at night.

_How can that be? That's what took James so long to track one across Siberia! He only changed with the moon! That monster never had this kind of control! It was lost to the monthly cycle of the full moon, but… they are the same… aren't they?_

"_Look more closely, Victoria, is he really so much like the monster James tracked across Siberia?"_

"_Not the same? Impossible!"_ The words were barely recognizable between the snarls that ripped through her clenched teeth_._

"_Nothing is impossible, except what you want. You'll never touch her."_

In a flash of anger, Victoria and Edward came together again in a deadly dance of spiraling movement. Victoria's marbleized bones cracked and snapped with each hit that she failed to deflect. Her hands and feet flew out, desperately seeking her target and missing as he darted away at the last possible moment only to attack again more fiercely each time.

Soon Victoria realized her deepest mistake…she had become the prey. Edward stalked her, but never left Bella unprotected. Never gave the slightest advantage.

Without having to look, Victoria knew Riley was losing his struggle by the sounds of his battle, the ripping and tearing, breaking and shattering, the unearthly screams that erupted as the werewolf tore him bit by bit. She blocked it all out as she continued to fight off every blow she received. Never on the offensive, always on the retreat.

Just as she made up her mind to run, to save herself, she heard the marvelous sounds of an animal in pain. Though her attention was centered only on Edward, she didn't fail to notice the massive tan-colored beast flying through the air, smashing into the rock face behind Bella, then falling to the ground, panting, defeated. Whimpering. Close to death.

_Yes!_

As rocks and debris tumbled to the ground, Riley moved in for the kill.

An almost imperceptible gasp of pain floated out into the small meadow. Then the sweet perfume of Bella's blood filled the air. In that instant, Victoria's eyes locked onto Bella's. Dark richly scented blood trickled like a bright red tear from the inside of the girl's elbow.

Victoria's mouth burst into flame as she breathed in the insanely sweet fragrance that saturated the air. In Victoria's hesitation, her utter enjoyment of the moment, she dropped her guard and swiftly found herself flying through the meadow, crashing into a tree, her bones painfully cracking and moving in odd directions. She landed like a cat, instinctually in a crouch, her body unable to straighten into an upright position any longer. She ignored the pain that came with every slight move.

In blinding speed, Edward had raced to Riley's position, grabbed his arm from behind and pulled, wrenching bone and muscle in the wrong direction, tearing the limb easily from the newborn's body as he screamed.

_Run! Run now! _

_No! Kill the girl!_

Victoria moved as swiftly as she could, startled only for a fraction of a second as the werewolf jumped to his feet, obviously uninjured, running to join in Riley's destruction, leaving the fragile human girl completely unprotected.

Seeing only Bella, focusing every last ounce of energy on her, Victoria sprinted for her. Venom filled her mouth in anticipation. Her throat was an inferno wanting only to be quenched. Victoria could count the rapid heartbeats that pounded through Bella's jugular, each step taking her closer to her only desire.

Once again, Victoria sailed through the air away from her prey, knocked of course by a rock that had slammed into her. _Riley's arm_. Landing once more in a crouch, her body twisted at another unnatural angle as she kicked Riley's detached limb out of her way.

The werewolf viciously attacked Riley's remaining limb, tearing it from his body with little effort as Riley screamed _"Victoria!"_

She ignored him. Weak. Coward. The werewolf ran at Riley, plowing into him with his full weight, pushing him further and further until they disappeared into the trees. Riley's screams split the air in chorus with the sounds of death. Then nothing.

_Riley is gone. _

Victoria had nothing left. Only her innate sense of danger. It beat at her like never before. It was there during the entire fight, but she blocked it out, believing she could win, she could have her revenge.

_Run!_

Only then did she see the truth.

_Run! Now!_

Edward knew the truth just as she did. She could see it in his bright golden eyes. She would run while she still could.

"_No," _Edward's seductive voice sang to her. _"Stay just a little longer."_

Victoria turned and fled from the nearly silent footsteps that shadowed hers into the trees. Then his hands were on her arms, his mouth at her neck like a lover.

Splintering pain sliced across the back of her neck and then, a blanket of white rushed up to meet her. She was rolling, bouncing and came to rest a few yards from her twitching body. The pain was gone, but she couldn't close her eyes. She had no choice but to stare in horror as Edward methodically dismantled her body as if he were taking apart a life-sized doll. He carried the pieces out of her range of vision and then, she heard his footsteps approach as he once again came into view.

Edward's face was the last thing she saw as her head spun away into the pile of marbleized flesh and bone. The vision of him burned onto her dead retinas. She could hear and see the broken bits and pieces of Riley that were quickly piled around her. Every cell in her brain exploded in a silent scream of cruel unreserved anguish. Dry dirty pine needles were thrown unceremoniously over her face, leaving her vision blurry as she heard the flip of a lighter, the scratch of the flint and the spark of a flame. A bright searing purple blaze erupted around her, catching her hair in a crackling, sizzling inferno, burning her flesh as the venom in her eyes began to boil and she lost sight forever.


End file.
